What Do Intermittent Low Sodium Levels Indicate?

Posted on Thu, 19 Apr 2018

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Thu, 19 Apr 2018 Answered on

Fri, 11 Aug 2023 Last reviewed on

Question : Hi doctor. my uncle is the hospital from past two weeks. bed ridden. the sodium levels in the bidy constantly drains out every alternate day. doctors are balancing the vitals nd sodium levels come back to normal. but again after another day it drains out n levels go very low. on test it has been identified that all the sodium and the medicines he takes are draining out in the urine. i would like to understand why does this usiall happen and what is happening with the system.

Answered by Dr. salah saad shoman (42 minutes later)

Brief Answer:

Various causes

Detailed Answer:

Hello,

Increased sodium excretion in urine beyond normal levels could be due to a number of causes such as adrenal insufficiency and low cortisol levels, syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion, salt-losing nephropathy, and thyroid hormonal imbalance.

So I would recommend that he gets a blood test of the cortisol level, the antidiuretic hormone level and a thyroid hormonal profile including T3, T4, and TSH to exclude or confirm any of these causes.

Treatment is initiated once a diagnosis of the cause has been established.

Hope I have answered your query.

Take care

Regards,
Dr Salah Saad Shoman, Internal Medicine Specialist

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Remy Koshy